At a time when our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial system seems to be
imploding, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sometimes distressing to ponder what the future holds for the
architectural profession. Our livelihoods are inextricably tied to the fortunes
of the building industry, which quickly reacts to any economic downturn and
in turn affects our work accordingly. Troubling, too, is the issue of global
warming because our profession has an immediate and direct impact on the
environment. And considering that buildings in the U.S. consume about 70
percent of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total electricity output and 12 percent of its water, it
is evident that what we do as designers and builders in the future must be
increasingly responsive to such grave issues. Clearly, we cannot continue on
the path we have been following since the use and availability of resources
are drastically transforming the landscape ahead.
The building industry has recognized its own impact on resources to some
degree and is responding to an extent. Resource conservation and energyefficient design have gone beyond mere lip service in the last few years, but a
sizable amount of the effort has produced results largely within the context